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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

On the 65th Anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's Priestly Ordination

On this, the 65th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's priestly ordination, we want to join Catholics and non-Catholics throughout the world in wishing him every joy and blessing.

We sorely miss his brilliant teaching, leadership and profound personal holiness on the Chair of St. Peter. Indeed, he seems to us like the brilliant, dazzling dawn that often precedes the most horrific storm. We thank God that we have his clear, faithful teaching to fall back upon during this time of rudderless chastisement. May God richly bless him and draw countless souls through him.

The following is our post which commemorated Pope Benedict's 85th birthday.

Today is the 85th birthday of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI,
and this week we will mark the 7th anniversary of his election to the
Chair of Saint Peter. For this gentle, kind, brilliant, holy teacher
and shepherd, we give thanks to God and pray that he continues as
Christ's 265th Vicar on Earth for many more years.

In
these seven years, he has undertaken 23 international trips, including
the first state visit by a Pope to England and Scotland (Pope John Paul
II made a pastoral visit in 1982). He has made 26 pastoral trips
throughout Italy. He has presided over 4 synods of bishops and 3 world
youth days. In 3 encyclicals and in all of his many books, homilies,
letters and addresses he has spoken powerfully, clearly and from the
heart, to the heart. One of his frequent references to his predecessor
and friendship with Christ provides a beautiful example:

Are
we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully
into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are we not afraid
that He might take something away from us?...And once again the Pope
said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing,
absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No!
Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation....When
we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open,
open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.

His
contributions to building the unity of the Church and healing old
divisions have been monumental and historic. There has never been such
friendship and collaboration with leaders of the Orthodox churches as
there has been throughout this pontificate. Through his apostolic
constitution Anglicanorum coetibus he has provided a bridge
through which thousands of Anglicans and other Protestants are entering
the Church, while maintaining their own rich patrimony. Through his
Apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum he has restored the Roman
Church's own patrimony, ending nearly a half century of division and
conflict and restoring reverence and beauty to sacred liturgy. And in
the English-speaking world he has restored a faithful and reverent
translation of the Roman Missal. He has been tireless in seeking
reconciliation with those alienated by false interpretations and
reckless innovations following the Second Vatican Council.

Most
importantly, his joyful, faithful and total submission to the service
of Jesus Christ and His Church has inspired vibrant, new, evangelical
growth throughout the universal Church that has also spawned a boom in
religious and priestly vocations.

For
all of this and so much more, we wish Pope Benedict God's richest
blessings, a happy birthday and heartily proclaim "Viva il Papa!"

This website is dedicated to a renewal of Christian culture. It is inspired by Sir Winston Churchill, a valiant defender of Christian civilization, who believed "we have a great treasure to guard; that the inheritance in our possession represents the prolonged achievement of the centuries." With Churchill, we believe that a "fraternal association" of the English-speaking peoples must "for their own safety and for the good of all walk together in majesty, in justice and in peace.”